1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rubber soled slipper sock and to a method of fabricating the same. The slipper sock comprises a fabric sock which is dipped into uncured latex or the like. The center of the sole of the slipper sock is coated with a coagulant which acts immediately upon contact with the uncured latex. The perimeter of the sole of the sock is not coated with coagulant, and becomes embedded in the latex. The uncoated central section of the sole rejects the latex, which cures immediately upon exposure to the coagulant. The result of this treatment is that a rubber sole is provided, which adheres by embedding at the periphery of the sole, but which remains apart from yet in contact with the fabric at the center. The fabric of the central portion is thus able to act as the sole of a fabric sock. Yet the rubber sole protects the sock, and is solidly secured thereto.
The slipper sock may be subsequently subjected to additional fabrication steps. Illustratively, indicia and tread texturing may be pressed into the sole prior to curing of the latex.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Footwear intended for use in a casual or recreational environment exists in many forms. Of course, socks of woven or knitted construction come to mind as the most casual of footwear when one has removed or is not wearing shoes. Such attire often conveys an unkempt or undressed appearance and certainly would be considered to be restricted solely to indoor use, such as in one's home. Conventional socks offer little or no protection against the elements or when the user ventures outside a building, even if one were to wear them merely to retrieve the morning paper or daily mail since they will instantly absorb even the morning dew. The most obvious objection is noted as one feels even the slightest irregularity in the surface of the ground or walkway since the smallest pebble etc. becomes readily apparent.
Numerous slipper socks of varying designs have been available for some time and these are primarily intended solely for wear about the home. Alternative slipper type footwear is known such as the all-rubber items provided for wear at the beach and for water aerobics. These latter items are akin to overshoes but comprise a totally impervious, quite tightly fitting, rubber device providing a slip resistant sole but which have been found to produce a binding effect upon the foot when worn for extensive periods of time. Also, in view of the impervious nature of the rubber composition, such footwear makes for a very hot foot when one is not constantly immersed in cool water.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a slipper sock that is air pervious or of a composition that comprises a significant breathable portion, while having a waterproof, slip resistant sole portion. Preferably, the sole portion of the slipper sock presents a breathable portion to the sole of the wearer's foot. Additionally, the ideal slipper sock should have a reinforced heel portion serving to provide for ease of application and removal from the foot, with such reinforcement providing both an enhanced non-slip grasping area while strengthening the otherwise knitted or pervious rear area of the footwear upper portion.
Exemplary of known slipper socks is that as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,671, issued to Florence Melton on Jul. 7, 1981, and which illustrates a construction method wherein a stretchable sock is provided with a disparate sole member, with or without an intermediate cushion element. Additionally, no reinforcing coating is seen in the heel area of Melton, as proposed in the present invention. It will be further noted that Melton employs a bonding step, employing either stitching or liquid adhesives, to secure a pre-existing sole to the sock. By contrast, the sole and bonding therefor are provided in a single step of dipping the sock into liquid latex rubber. The sock is thus embedded in the material of the sole, unlike the construction of Melton.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,292, issued Mar. 2, 1982, to Florence Melton is a division of the above described earlier patent and is directed to the slipper sock article per se. The same comments and distinctions as related hereinabove regarding the prior patent are repeated here by reference thereto.
Dipping a sock into a rubber composition for coating is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 266,614, issued to Elizabeth N. Douglass on Oct. 31, 1882. However, both the method and the product lack an important feature of the present invention, that being that the rubber liner embeds the sock at the periphery of the sole, but partially escapes impregnation at the sole area. The user places his or her foot on rubber in the Douglass device, but on the fabric of the sock in the present invention.
A construction seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,782, issued to James R. McGinnity on May 21, 1968, enables a fabric sole of a slipper sock to remain exposed to the sole of the wearer's foot. However, the fabric is bonded to a synthetic resin sole continuously and coextensively, unlike the present invention. In the present invention, fabric is embedded within uncured material at the periphery of the sole and part way up the lateral walls of the sock, and projects above the finished resin sole or liner. Also, McGinnity's outsole or liner is perforated, unlike that of the present invention.
Another slipper sock is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. D-347,518 issued on Jan. 7, 1994, to Theresa Stewart and which illustrates an apparent flexible upper portion having a sole portion affixed thereto, the latter presenting grooves or the like. The rear of this sole portion extends upwardly a short distance to overlie the base only of a wearer's heel. Although the Stewart sole portion covers the extent of the foot sole and projects upwardly about the periphery thereof, the slightly elevated heel portion of this sole covering does not extend upwardly to a point juxtaposed the ankle opening and thus would offer little area for grasping by a user attempting to don or remove the slipper sock and a user would tend to grasp the soft upper portion of the sock during such maneuvers, thereby encouraging tearing or strain in this critical area of the sock. The patent to Stewart certainly fails to teach embedding of the fabric sock in a latex sole.
None of the above inventions or patents, taken either singly or in any combination, is seen to even remotely suggest or describe the instant invention as claimed herein.